The Seattle Post Intelligencer has this Associated Press article on the Maryland Assessment Test. It would seem that the head of the Maryland School for the Deaf is upset that in the reading comprehension portion of the test children are required to figure out which words sound alike.

Yep, we have to have standardized testing to show how well our schools are doing and the tests are prepared by experts to measure progress.

Is it really surprising that they have to pay people to praise this system?

As long as they don’t expect celibacy or chastity, I can deal with it.

Elayne Riggs points to Atrios who points to Tapped and this pledge:

I swear that I have never taken money — neither directly nor indirectly — from any political campaign or government agency — whether federal, state, or local — in exchange for any service performed in my job as a journalist (or commentator, or blogger, or whatever you think I should be called).

This is in response to the Armstrong Williams affair over accepting $240K to say nice things about “Nickleby” [AKA – NCLB or No Child Left Behind]. Of course, Duncan is a little touchy about this because the M$M claimed that he was being paid to blog on Eschaton.

I am a consultant and do get paid for my opinions, but my clients pay me with the understanding that I won’t, under rather severe penalty, discuss my opinions with others. I’m generally consulting on business problems that companies don’t want to be made public as this would help competitors. In my line of work, you only screw up once, because if you do, your name is pulled from the Rolodex.

This is a personal effort: no advertising, no payoffs, no wish list, no tips jar. I do it when I have the time and I have something to say.